Soil and water pollution: An invisible threat to cardiovascular health

(Press release of the University Medical Center Mainz and the Max Planck Institut for Chemistry)

The key points of this publication are:

• Illnesses related to chemical pollution of the soil, water, and air are responsible for an estimated 9 million premature deaths annually, which equates to 16% of all global deaths; half of these deaths are of cardiovascular origin.
• Degradation of the soil threatens the health of at least 3.2 billion people (40% of the global population). In contrast, more than two billion people (25% of the global population) live in countries that are particularly affected by water pollution.
• Eco-disruptive causes of soil and water pollution include deforestation, climate change, airborne dust, over-fertilization, and unhealthy city designs.
• Pollution by heavy metals, pesticides, and micro- and nanoplastics cause cardiovascular damage, by inducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and impairing circadian rhythms.
• Exposure to chemicals (such as heavy metals, solvents, dioxins, and pesticides) at workplaces, through consumer products or indirectly via environmental contamination contributes to endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular disease.

“Soil contamination is a much less visible danger to human health than dirty air”, comment the two main authors of the study, Prof. Dr. Thomas Münzel, Senior Professor, and Prof. Dr. Andreas Daiber, Head of the Molecular Cardiology Research Group at the Department of Cardiology at University Medical Mainz. “But the evidence is mounting that pollutants in the soil as well as in water may damage cardiovascular health through some central mechanisms that have been identified to play a key role in the atherosclerotic process such as inflammation of the vasculature, increased oxidative stress, but also the disruption of the body’s natural clock causing vascular (endothelial) dysfunction that may lead to the initiation or progression of atherosclerotic disease.” An important reason for writing this review article was therefore to strongly encourage cardiologists to consider environmental factors that could influence their patients' risk,” adds Thomas Münzel.

The potential hazards of contaminated airborne dust are also becoming increasingly important - commonly known as Sahara or desert dust, for example. Around 770,000 cardiovascular deaths per year can be attributed to dust pollution. “Unfortunately, climate models predict that this airborne dust will increase significantly and that air quality will deteriorate as the planet warms,” comments Prof. Dr. Jos Lelieveld from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry.

Controlling soil and water pollution is crucial to reducing cardiovascular risk, according to the authors. Key strategies include reducing exposure to harmful chemicals through improved water filtration, air quality management, and adherence to good agricultural practices. Efforts such as the European Commission's zero-pollution vision for 2050 aim to significantly reduce pollution levels, contribute to healthier ecosystems and reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease.

Promoting sustainable urban design, reducing the use of harmful pesticides, and improving environmental regulations worldwide are also essential to tackle the causes of soil and water pollution. These measures protect ecosystems and public health, particularly by reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease caused by pollution.

The international research team includes authors from the following institutions: Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Mainz (Thomas Münzel, Omar Hahad and Andreas Daiber), Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany (Jos Lelieveld), Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA (Michael Aschner), Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain (Mark Nieuwenhuijsen) and Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Boston, MA, USA (Philip Landrigan).

About the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

The University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz is the only medical institution of supra-maximum supply in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate and an internationally recognized science location. Medical and scientific specialists at more than 60 clinics, institutes and departments work interdisciplinarily to treat more than 345,000 patients per year. Highly specialized patient care, research and teaching are inseparably intertwined. More than 3,500 medicine and dentistry students as well as around 670 future medical, commercial and technical professionals are trained in Mainz. With a workforce of approximately 8,700 colleagues the University Medical Center Mainz is one of the largest employers in the region and an important driver of growth and innovation. Find more information online at www.unimedizin-mainz.de